The Unhappy Side Of Happy Hour

Most of us enjoy a drink (or two—okay, three) as a go-to way to wind down after work. A harmless habit, right? Well, maybe not: A number of new studies are unraveling alcohol's tangled relationship with emotions, and the picture isn’t pretty.

Among women, alcohol can be a risky way to deal with sadness or anxiety, finds a new study from the University of Georgia and the University of Kentucky. After following 235 female college students, researchers concluded that those who drank to cope with “negative emotions” were more likely to imbibe excessively, and were at a greater risk of developing alcohol-use disorders than their friends.

And the picture isn’t any better for men. In a new study out of Italy, scientists found that men who drink excessively experience some major sensitivity chip malfunctions: Compared to healthy peers, these men lacked empathy, and demonstrated an impaired ability to “read” emotional cues.

Drinking less is the best way to avoid these boozy risks, but like most healthy changes, it can be a lot easier said than done. One simple solution? Skip the pre-drinking—that glass of wine you enjoy before hitting the town—which causes you to drink nearly twice as much alcohol over an evening, according to yet another new study.

“People like getting to the bar or the party with a buzz,” says study co-author Shannon Kenney, PhD, associate director of the Heads Up Research Lab at Loyola Marymount University. “But with pre-drinking, decision-making is impaired from the outset, so it becomes way easier to drink heavily.”

Once you're out, Kenney suggests a buddy system to limit alcohol consumption. Team up with a friend or your guy and agree on strict limits for the evening before taking a single sip.

And if you overindulge to cope with emotions, acknowledge the habit and plan ahead: “It's amazing how being more aware of yourself can make a difference,” Kenney says. “Be conscientious. Take a few minutes, think about your habits and limits ahead of time, and you can really protect yourself.”